Last updated November 2026
On a hilltop south of Tuakau, grassed earthworks mark one of the first posts British troops built when they invaded the Waikato. Alexandra Redoubt sits at the end of Alexandra Redoubt Road, high above the Waikato River, and is now a historic reserve.
The fort was a rectangle with bastions at two diagonally opposite corners. An obelisk at the site remembers the imperial and colonial soldiers who died in the Franklin district during the war. A historic cemetery lies around and below the redoubt.
Practical Information
- Location
- End of Alexandra Redoubt Road, south of Tuakau, above the Waikato River
- Distance
- About 10 km from Pukekohe town centre in a straight line
- Access
- Historic reserve in public ownership, reached from the end of Alexandra Redoubt Road
- On site
- Redoubt earthworks, New Zealand Wars memorial obelisk and a historic cemetery
- Status
- Check Waikato District Council’s website for local notices before you go.
About Alexandra Redoubt
The invasion of Waikato began in July 1863, and that same month a detachment of the 65th Regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred Wyatt began fortifying the high ground above the Tuakau landing. The work is recorded both by NZHistory and by the Department of Conservation’s survey of New Zealand Wars fortifications.
The post took its name from Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who had married the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, in March 1863. NZHistory describes the redoubt as a base for controlling the lower reaches of the river and protecting the supply lines of the invasion force, which was led by Lieutenant-General Duncan Cameron.
Not far downstream, near the supply depot at Camerontown, troops from the redoubt were ambushed on 7 September 1863. NZHistory records that a party of Kīngitanga fighters had ransacked the depot, and the soldiers sent out from the redoubt lost their commanding officer in the fighting that followed.
Colour Sergeant Edward McKenna of the 65th took command and led the survivors out, and he later received the Victoria Cross for his part that day.
Both NZHistory and the DOC survey describe a rectangular earthwork with bastions on two diagonally opposite corners, a layout that let defenders cover every wall. The DOC survey lists the site as a historic reserve in public ownership.
The Memorial and Cemetery
An obelisk at the redoubt is dedicated to the imperial and colonial troops, known and unknown, who died in the Franklin district in 1863 and 1864. NZHistory records that it stands near the entrance to the site.
The Alexandra Redoubt (Historic) Cemetery lies down the hill from the earthworks and partly surrounds them.
Where to Learn More
NZHistory: Alexandra Redoubt NZ Wars memorial: the redoubt’s role in the invasion, the Camerontown fighting, the obelisk and the cemetery.
NZHistory: War in Waikato, the opening phase: how the invasion began and why the river supply route mattered.
Department of Conservation: Fortifications of the New Zealand Wars: a survey entry describing the redoubt’s layout and setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Alexandra Redoubt?
At the end of Alexandra Redoubt Road, south of Tuakau, on a hill high above the Waikato River.
Who built the redoubt?
A detachment of the 65th Regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred Wyatt, which began work in July 1863 at the start of the invasion of Waikato.
Who was it named after?
Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who married the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, in March 1863.
What was the redoubt for?
NZHistory describes it as a base for controlling the lower Waikato River and protecting the supply lines of the British invasion force.
What happened near Camerontown?
On 7 September 1863 troops from the redoubt were ambushed after a Kīngitanga war party ransacked the depot there. Colour Sergeant Edward McKenna took command after their commanding officer was killed, and later received the Victoria Cross.
What does the memorial commemorate?
The imperial and colonial troops, known and unknown, who died in the Franklin district in 1863 and 1864.
Who owns the site?
The Department of Conservation’s fortifications survey lists it as a historic reserve in public ownership.
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